over the Throne:

“He turned toward the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, ‘Come, willingly or unwillingly.’ They said, ‘We come willingly.’”

This and similar passages concern the beginning of creation. As for its re-creation, He, exalted is He, says:

“They have not esteemed Allah as He deserves. On the Day of Resurrection, the whole earth will be in His grasp, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand. Glorified and exalted is He above what they associate with Him!”

It is authentically reported in the Sahīh collection from Abū Hurayrah that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Allah will grasp the earth and roll up the heaven in His right hand. Then He will say, ‘I am the King! Where are the kings of the earth?’”

In the two Sahīh collections, Ibn ‘Umar reports:

“The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recited this verse on the pulpit, then said, ‘Allah will roll up the heavens in His right hand and grasp the earth in His other hand. Then He will say: “I am the King; I am the Most Holy; I am the Source of Peace; I am the Giver of Security; I am the Guardian; I am the Almighty; I am the Compeller; I am the Supreme. I am the One who brought the world into being when it was nothing; I am the One who will restore it.”’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, began closing and opening his hands. The pulpit was shaking beneath him so much that I found myself saying, ‘Will it collapse beneath the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?’”

Ibn ‘Abbās said:

“The seven heavens, the seven earths, and everything within them are, in the Hand of the Most Merciful, no more than a mustard seed in the palm of one of you.”

It is also related that he said:

“He tosses them as a child tosses a ball.”

This shows that the celestial spheres are as nothing compared with the power of Allah, exalted is He, even as He, glorified and exalted is He, rolls up the heaven and grasps the earth.